Off-duty Uber driver accused of kidnapping, fondling drunk woman

Ride-share company casts doubt on involvement; driver held on $1 million bail.

A Los Angeles driver is being held on $1 million bail on charges of kidnapping for the purpose of sexual assault as of Tuesday, according to a report from ABC 7 in Los Angeles. The driver, who ABC 7 and other outlets have associated with the car service Uber, allegedly took a non-Uber fare to a motel room after picking her up from a nightclub and stayed there overnight with her, though no allegations of sexual assault have been made. In a statement made Tuesday afternoon, Uber said it is "certainly unclear that this is an Uber-related incident."

Los Angeles Police Department Lieutenant Paul Vernon told KTLA that the driver's story "didn't make any sense," but the police believe he was solicited by a nightclub worker while outside the nightclub—and not in his capacity as an Uber employee—to pick up a 26-year-old woman. The police couldn't immediately determine if the woman had called the driver as her phone was dead, but they said the woman was too drunk to give her address (if she had called the car, the driver would have her address through Uber).

Though the above appears to be the accepted, pieced-together story from various accounts, Vernon later told ABC 7 that "the victim was trying to be responsible by calling for a ride, but she unwittingly put herself in another vulnerable situation," leaving it unclear who called the car and in what capacity.

After picking her up, the driver allegedly took the woman to the Panorama Hotel and carried her into a room. According to Vernon, "no sexual assault occurred… there was some fondling through her clothes… she said no… In the morning when she awoke and that happened, she wanted to leave, he did not stop her from leaving."

Uber drivers are typically employees of livery services who operate on a contract basis with Uber, and it's possible for the drivers to go off the Uber grid to take a non-Uber fare. The driver in question has been identified repeatedly as affiliated with Uber, though there is no evidence it was an Uber fare.

Lane Kasselman, a communications representative with Uber, tells Ars that based on their data, the driver was not logged into Uber at the time of the ride in question. On whether they are logged in and using Uber's service, Kasselman told Ars, "They can turn it on and off, it's entirely up to them."

"We have reached out to authorities and will work with them to help uncover the facts," Uber said in its statement. "Nothing is more important to Uber than the safety of our riders."